This monthly review goes out to members of the AGI Government Affairs Program (GAP) Advisory Committee, the leadership of AGI's member societies, and other interested geoscientists as part of a continuing effort to improve communications between GAP and the geoscience community that it serves.
Changed Priorities on Capitol Hill
Appropriations End Game
Education Bill Containing Santorum Amendment Still
Pending
ANWR at Stake in Energy Debate
House Science Committee Looks at NSF Research Priorities
MTBE Phaseout Bill Passes Senate Committee
Coal-Bed Methane Addressed by House Subcommittee
OMB Releases Guidelines for Federal Information Dissemination
Lautenbacher Named as Nominee to Head NOAA
Fall Intern Arrives, Applications Being Accepted for
Spring 2002 Internship
Schedule of Upcoming GAP Activities
New Material on Web Site
********************
Changed Priorities on Capitol Hill
In early September, Congress was bogged down in partisan bickering
on all fronts. The appropriations process was even further behind than
usual, and efforts to produce comprehensive energy legislation had slowed
in the Senate as gasoline prices fell. Congressional leaders had abandoned
hopes of an early October adjournment, and there was talk of staying in
session until Christmas. The biggest political imperative was to avoid
dipping into the Social Security surplus. It all seems like a long time
ago.
Having met the immediate needs of the crisis -- granting war powers, providing $40 billion in emergency funds, and giving recognition to victims and heroic rescue workers -- Congress at month's end was beginning the process of refocusing on prior concerns but in an entirely new context. As Congress takes up old business, many of the old divisions are gradually replacing the extraordinary unity that followed September 11th. But the rancor is largely gone, holding out hope that reasonable compromises can be found in order to keep things moving ahead. Typical was the call by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), reported in Greenwire, to set aside old "habits of partisanship and parochialism" and unify behind the president.
Although national defense, economic stimulus, and airport security measures are clearly at center stage, the president has announced that education remains a top priority for his administration and that he wants an education bill on his desk in October. The White House is wrangling with congressional appropriators over final spending numbers for fiscal year (FY) 2002, which began October 1st. The government is currently running under a two-week continuing resolution at FY 2001 levels. Energy policy is making a comeback based on national security concerns rather than consumer demands. More on each of these topics follows.
Appropriations End Game
After delays related to the tragic events of September 11th and an
ever-changing list of priorities, Congress appears poised to steam forward
with the appropriation bills. None of the 13 bills were ready for
the president's signature on October 1st, the start of FY 2002. Despite
missing the deadline and running on a continuing resolution, Congress is
determined to keep all the bills separate, instead of the omnibus package
that has become the norm in recent years. The House and Senate have appointed
conferees for seven bills that have passed both chambers. They also have
agreed on spending levels for the bills and have tentative agreement with
the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as well. But the
major sticking point right now between Congress and OMB is whether or not
OMB will put the final numbers in writing -- House Democrats are particularly
concerned about being labeled budget-busters in the elections next year.
As soon as the final numbers are released, both the House and the Senate
are ready to move several of the bills swiftly, including three key geoscience-related
bills -- Interior, Energy & Water, and Commerce. More information
on appropriations is available at http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis107/appropsfy2002.html.
Education Bill Containing Santorum Amendment
Still Pending
After President Bush signaled that overhauling federal educational
programs remained a top priority of the administration, a House-Senate
conference has returned to work hammering out a final compromise bill.
Meetings have taken place behind closed doors with a tight lock on information.
Science education groups are largely being forced to watch from the sidelines
as deals are made over the size and scope of new federal math and science
partnership programs. Efforts are still ongoing to remove a Senate-passed
resolution that singles out biological evolution as a controversial theory.
In late August, the leaders of 80 scientific and educational organizations
sent a joint letter to Congress opposing the Sense of the Senate resolution
introduced by Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA). Since that time, a number of additional
organizations have signed on to the letter, including several AGI member
societies and the federation of biomedical societies that have powered
growth of the National Institutes of Health. The letter and current list
of 95 signatories can be viewed at http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis107/evolutionletter.html.
In the past month, groups opposed to the teaching of evolution have stepped
up efforts to use the Santorum resolution to lobby school boards to teach
Intelligent Design theory and other forms of creationism. More at http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis.html#evolution.
ANWR at Stake in Energy Debate
Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) is seeking to force energy policy onto the
Senate's agenda sooner rather than later. Already passed by the House as
H.R. 4, comprehensive energy legislation has been pending in the Senate
Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Although committee chairman Jeff
Bingaman (D-NM) has said he will start marking up energy legislation as
early as this week, Inhofe sought to obtain a guarantee of Senate floor
time for H.R. 4 or its counterpart, S. 388, before adjournment this fall.
Inhofe introduced two separate amendments to the must-pass FY 2002 Defense
authorization bill (S.1438) that would open the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge for drilling, arguing that energy supplies are important to our
military readiness and national security. While other Republicans, most
notably Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-AK), agree that national security demands
the passage of a national energy policy, they have not supported his tactics.
On October 2nd, the Senate voted unanimously to cut off debate on the defense
bill, rebuffing Inhofe's efforts. Both Inhofe and Murkowski have vowed
to find alternative means to force Senate passage of energy legislation.
More at http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis107/anwr.html.
House Science Committee Looks at NSF Research
Priorities
The House Science Subcommittee on Research held a hearing on September
6th regarding the National Science Foundation's (NSF) management and planning
for large research projects, including NSF's Major Research Equipment (MRE)
account and research facilities. NSF Director Rita Colwell, National
Science Board Vice Chair Anita Jones, and NSF Inspector General Christine
Boesz testified on how the agency prioritizes and manages these large projects.
Jones explained that under the current system the science board reviews
and prioritizes proposed major projects. NSF then works to stay within
funding parameters provided by the Office of Management and Budget.
Committee members questioned the witnesses on what other steps the agency
takes to help insure that priority projects are maintained in the budget
and what can been done to improve this process. The first earth science
MRE project, EarthScope, was included in the FY 2001 NSF request after
receiving National Science Board approval. Congress did not fund it, however,
and there were no new starts in the FY 2002 budget request. Hopes are high
that EarthScope will be included in NSF's FY 2003 request. More information
on the hearing is available on the subcommittee's website at http://www.house.gov/science/research/reshearings.htm.
MTBE Phaseout Bill Passes Senate Committee
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted to approve
the Federal Reformulated Fuels Act of 2001 (S.950) during a September 25th
voting session. The legislation calls for a phase out of methyl tertiary
butyl ether (MTBE) as an additive in reformulated gasoline by 2004.
MTBE is an oxygenate added to gasoline to make it burn cleaner, but has
been found to cause cancer and pollute groundwater. S.950, introduced by
Sen. Bob Smith (R-NH), would give power to governors to exempt their state
from the current Clean Air Act mandate of two-percent oxygen additive in
gasoline. Farm state senators view this proposal as a threat to Midwest
ethanol manufacturers because it would also allow states to opt out of
using corn-based ethanol, the only other fuel oxygenate available.
Additional opposition comes from several Republican senators, led by Sen.
Christopher Bond (R-MO), whose concerns stem from a Department of Energy
estimate that the bill might reduce gasoline supplies by more than 400,000
barrels per day, thereby increasing the nation's reliance on foreign oil.
These concerns are likely to be addressed as amendments, perhaps in the
form of an ethanol incentive package, when the bill reaches the Senate
floor. More at http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis107/mtbe.html.
Coal-Bed Methane Addressed by House Subcommittee
On September 6th, the House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
held the first hearing specifically on coal-bed methane in the 107th Congress.
Chaired by Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-WY), the subcommittee heard from thirteen
witnesses from federal and state government and the private sector on the
"orderly development" of coal-bed methane from public lands in western
states. A major obstacle for many coal-bed methane fields is water.
Millions of barrels of water are released from the extraction of coal-bed
methane, but there are several questions that are raised -- water quality,
aquifer depletion, and salinization of soil. Coal-bed methane is
becoming an increasingly attractive energy source and is likely to receive
more attention in future energy policy deliberations. More on the
subcommittee's website at http://www.house.gov/resources/107cong/energy/2001sep06/agenda2001_0906.htm.
OMB Releases Guidelines for Federal Information
Dissemination
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has released
new government-wide guidelines for "ensuring and maximizing the quality,
objectivity, utility, and integrity of information (including statistical
information) disseminated by Federal agencies." These guidelines
aim to improve federally produced information disseminated to the public
by requiring federal agencies to develop their own quality criteria and
to establish an administrative mechanism to respond to inquiries about
the quality of information provided. In addition to these steps,
agencies must provide a report to OMB on the number and nature of complaints
received by each agency and how such complaints were resolved. The OMB
guidelines are in response to a congressional mandate inserted into last
year's FY 2001 Treasury Appropriations bill by Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO).
One of the most controversial topics in the congressional order was that
data should be "capable of being substantially reproduced." OMB released
guidelines for this provision in interim form and has extended the comment
period for 30 days for input directly related to the "reproducibility"
criterion. More information on the OMB guidelines and the previous
comment period is available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/pubpress/2001-39.html.
Lautenbacher Named as Nominee to Head NOAA
On September 19th, President Bush announced his intentions to nominate
Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr. (ret.) to be the new Administrator
for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
A former Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Lautenbacher spent the past
several months as President of the Consortium for Oceanographic Research
and Education (CORE). He has a long history of service with the Navy,
including service as staff director for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
Lautenbacher has his Ph.D. from Harvard University in applied mathematics.
Senate approval is necessary for the position of NOAA Administrator, which
also carries the title Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere,
so Lautenbacher will begin the official nomination and confirmation process
in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Deputy Administrator Scott Gudes
will continue as acting NOAA director. More from the White House
website at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010919-13.html.
Fall Intern Arrives, Applications Being Accepted
for Spring 2002 Internship
AGI is pleased to welcome Catherine Macris as our 2001 Fall Semester
AAPG/AGI Geoscience and Public Policy Intern. A senior geology major at
Louisiana State University, Catherine will be spending fourteen weeks at
AGI getting a first-hand look at the federal legislative process and the
operation of executive branch agencies. The American Association of Petroleum
Geologists provides support for these internships. We are seeking outstanding
geoscience students with a strong interest in federal science policy for
the Spring 2002 AAPG/AGI internship. Applications must be postmarked by
October 15, 2001. See http://www.agiweb.org/gapac/intern.html
for further information.
Schedule of Upcoming GAP Activities
| Oct. 1-4 | AIPG/AEG Annual Mtg | St. Louis MO |
| Oct. 4-6 | AGI Foundation Mtg | Jackson WY |
| Oct. 9-11 | NAE Energy Policy Workshop | Washington DC |
| Nov. 4-8 | GSA Annual Mtg | Boston MA |
| Nov. 5 | Govt Affairs Advisory Cmte Mtg | Boston MA |
New Material on Web Site
The following updates and reports were added to the Government Affairs
portion of AGI's web site http://www.agiweb.org/gap
since the last monthly update:
Sources: American Geophysical Union ASLA 01-25, Boston Globe, E&E News, Greensheets, Greenwire, House Resources Committee, House Science Committee, Library of Congress, USBudget.com, White House, White House Office of Management and Budget.
Please send any comments or requests for information to AGI Government Affairs Program at govt@agiweb.org.
Posted October 2, 2001
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